PASIR PUTEH, Sept 5 — A graduate of University College Agroscience , Siti Nik Shahira Abdullah, has no regrets turning down a fixed-income job offer for she is now a successful nursery owner.

Her effort, working the little space of land in her house compound paid-off, with the seedlings and young plants growing well, and in demand.

Siti Nik Sahira, 26, who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in of Agriculture, said prior to her graduation, she did her practical training and worked part-time with a company involved in strawberry farming in the Cameron Highlands, Pahang.

After completing her practical training, she said, the company offered her a permanent job with a salary of RM3,000 a month, but she turned it down and returned to her hometown here due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) that was imposed then.

“After almost a year being unemployed, about two months ago I decided to use the knowledge I gained during may practical training and working part-time with the company in Cameron Highlands to open my own nursery.

“With a saving of RM500, I started on opening my own nursery in the compound of my house by producing my own seedlings for short -term crops such as chilli, eggplant, cucumber and also flower plants, as well as fertiliser and pesticides.

“The response has been good. I am able to sell between RM50 to RM100 of my products everyday, which is a good income,” she said when met at her house in Kampung Merkang, here.

Siti Nik Sahira said this prompted her to focus on agriculture and work towards becoming a successful agropreneur.

“I am now saving to raise funds to develop a 0.46 hectare site in Padang Pak Amat, about one kilometre from here, which is owned by my father, into a nursery that uses fertigation system,” she added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — A total of 67.4 per cent of the population in the country, or 15,772,760 individuals, have completed their COVID-19 vaccination as of yesterday, according to the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV).

An infographic shared on the committee’s official Twitter also showed that a total of 36,141,604 doses of the vaccine had been dispensed under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), including for the single dose and second dose recipients.

According to JKJAV, 20,401,824 individuals in the country had received at least the first dose of the vaccine, including recipients of the single dose CanSino vaccine.

On the daily vaccination, the number of doses dispensed yesterday was 300,501 doses, with 134,559 doses as first of two doses, and 165,942 doses as second dose to the two-dose recipients to complete their vaccination.

PICK was launched last Feb 24 to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KOTA KINABALU, 5 Sept —The number of flood victims in Sabah remains at 75 people involving 25 families, who are housed at a relief centre (PPS) in Beaufort, as at 8 am today.

According to a statement by the Sabah Disaster Management Committee Secretariat, the flood evacuees are at the PPS at Dewan Datuk Seri Panglima Dun Banir.

Continuous rain for more than 48 hours in the state since Aug 31 caused flooding in 45 villages in Beaufort and 15 villages in Membakut.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — Water supply to 463 areas which were affected following a halt in the operation of the Sungai Semenyih Water Treatment Plant (WTP) due to an odour pollution incident in Sungai Semenyih is 92.2 per cent restored as at 7 am this morning.

Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) corporate communications head, Elina Baseri said from the five Air Selangor regions affected, Kuala Langat, Sepang and Putrajaya had achieved 100 per cent water supply while Hulu Langat is at 92.6 per cent and Petaling at 81.4 per cent.

“The resumption of water supply is different from area to area depending on the location and distance of the consumer’s premises.

“Water supply to all affected areas would return in stages and it is expected to be fully restored by 6 am tomorrow morning. Alternative water supply through water lorry tankers would continue to be mobilised to consumers and critical premises affected by the unscheduled water disruption,” she said in a statement today.

She added that Air Selangor is seeking the cooperation of the people to observe physical distancing and to wear mask when obtaining water supply from lorry tankers.

“Consumers of Air Selangor will be kept informed on the incident from time to time via the mass media,” she said.

The people can also refer to the official Air Selangor communication channels such as Air Selangor application as well as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter sites or contact Air Selangor Communications Centre at 15300 while enquiries and complaints can also be forwarded to the Help Centre at www.airselangor.com and Air Selangor application.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA BERANG, Sept 5 — Formerly a haunt for drug addicts, the place has changed and turned into a freshwater fish farm by a group of 15 second generation Felda settlers of Bukit Bading here.

The got together and raised funds for use as capital for the project, which they started in March last year.

The leader, Azhar Ismail said the project was initially an idea by the first generation Felda settlers, but it could not be implemented due to some constraints.

“Although we have no training or experience in freshwater fish farming, we are determined to make it work as a source of our supplemental income.

“The reason being that most of us are self-employed and the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our main source of income,” he said and thanked Hulu Terengganu Member of Parliament Datuk Rosol Wahid and Ajil Assemblyman Maliaman Kassim for providing them with the financial assistance for the project.

Azhar was met by reporters after a visit by Rosol to the farm, where he released 9,000 tilapia and patin fish fry into the pond, yesterday.

Azhar said they had so far spent RM12,000 to build nine fish cages and aimed to build 20 cages more in stages.

He hoped the project would generate lucrative income for them with the first harvest scheduled in February next year.

A participant in the project, Khairi Muhammad, 41, who is a self-employed electrician, said he joined in the project to diversify his source of income.

“We are lucky to have received guidance from the Fisheries Department on proper techniques in handling fish farm, like on the water quality,” he said.

As for Ramli Ngah, 55, he hoped the fish farming project would inspire other second generation Felda settlers to venture into other economic activities to upgrade their socio-economy.

“In my case, I have been working in an oil palm plantation, no experience to do something else, but by working together, we are able to carry out the project smoothly.

“However, it is important for there to be understanding among all participants involved,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rosol said he had channeled aid of RM5,000 for the project and called on other second generation of Felda settlers to find ways to improve their socio-economic standard.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

ALOR SETAR, Sept 5 — The ferry service from Kuala Kedah, here to Langkawi will be suspended for two weeks following the implementation of Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in Kuala Kedah tomorrow.

Konsortium Ferry Line Ventures Human Resources and Operation manager Baharin Baharom said this followed the closure of the Kuala Kedah Ferry Terminal from Sept 6 to 19 and members of the public can used the ferry service at Kuala Perlis in Perlis.

“Passengers to and from Langkawi could use the ferry service to Kuala Perlis at 11am and from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi at 1 pm.

“The ferry consortium which is operating one trip daily, could increase its frequency if there is a demand,” he said in a statement here today.

He said the allowed passenger capacity at any one time is only 50 per cent from total seats available in the ferry.

He said passengers who have bought tickets from Langkawi to Kuala Kedah or from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi, can get their refund for tickets purchased via email.

“Apart from that, they can also claim refund at the ticket counter or exchange for the journey from Kuala Kedah Terminal to Kuala Perlis Terminal,” he said.

Yesterday, National Security Council (MKN) director-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad announced the implementation of EMCO in two zones, at Kuala Kedah sub-district following the spread of COVID-19.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 5 — A food factory in Beranang, Selangor has been issued a two-week stop work order from yesterday as the plant is believed to be the cause of the odour pollution in Sungai Semenyih, the Environment and Water Ministry (KASA) said in a statement today.

KASA said the Selangor Department of Environment (DOE) has opened an investigation paper to charge the factory owner on suspicion of having been responsible for the shutdown of the Semenyih Water Treatment Plant (LRA) on Aug 31 and later on Sept 3.

“Investigations by the Selangor DOE last Thursday and Friday (Sept 2 and 3) found that the plant was operational and several industrial effluent discharge and river water samples at the inlet were taken and sent to the Chemistry Department for chemical composition analysis.

“Further investigations were conducted at midnight last Friday (Sept 3) and air quality surveillance carried out at the factory’s final discharge point (prior to public drains) had detected several substances namely volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the air which released an odour similar to the VOC substances detected in the water samples taken during the Semenyih LRA shutdown on Aug 31,“ the statement read.

According to KASA, following these findings, the DOE issued a notice to the factory under Section 38 (1) (a) of the Environmental Quality Act, 1974 to stop pollution immediately and the factory production process has been suspended until further notice.

The case is being investigated under Section 25 (1) Environmental Quality Act, 1974 and the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009.

KASA said the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) had also taken the waste water samples as well as other evidence and an investigation paper has been opened under Section 121 (1) (C) of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655) that is a contamination of water offence, which if convicted, provides for a maximum imprisonment of 10 years or a fine not exceeding RM500,000.00 or both.

The Sungai Semenyih LRA was shutdown following the detection of odour causing substances by Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) after 2 TON (threshold odour number) level reading was recorded at the Jenderam Hilir inlet at 5.15pm on Friday.

The shutdown caused unscheduled water supply disruptions in 463 areas in five Air Selangor regions, namely Petaling (172 areas), Hulu Langat (54 areas), Sepang (194 areas), Putrajaya (23 areas) and Kuala Langat (20 areas).

Source: BERNAMA News Agency